George Lindemann
George Lyle Lindemann (March 26, 1936 – June 21, 2018)[4] was an American billionaire[1] businessman known for being the chairman and chief executive officer of Southern Union, a pipeline company.[5][6][7][8] He was also the owner of 19 Spanish-language radio stations[6][8] and the vice president of the Metropolitan Opera Association in New York City.[9]
George Lindemann | |
---|---|
Born | George Lyle Lindemann[1] March 26, 1936[1] New York City, US |
Died | June 21, 2018 82) [2] | (aged
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
Occupation | Businessman |
Net worth | US$3.3 billion[3] |
Title | Chairman and CEO, Southern Union |
Spouse(s) | Frayda B. Lindemann |
Children | 3 |
He ranked #703 on the Forbes 2018 list of the world's billionaires, with a net worth of US$3.3 billion.[10]
Early life and education
George Lindemann was born to a Jewish family[11] in 1936 in New York City.[3] He received a bachelor's degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.[3][5][8]
Career
In 1957, Lindemann began his career with his father's business, a cosmetics and hair care company called The Nestle-LeMur.[12] From 1962 to 1972, Lindemann was the president of Smith, Miller and Patch, a pharmaceutical company.[5] He sold Permalens, his family's eye-care company that developed the first permanent-wear soft contact lens, to Cooper Labs for $75 million in 1971.[3] In 1972, Lindemann founded cable TV firm Vision Cable, which he sold a decade later to Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr. and his brother for $220 million. [3][6][7][8]
Shortly after, he founded a cell phone company, Metro Mobile, which he later sold to Bell Atlantic for $2.5 billion in 1991.[3][6][7][8] He then shifted his focus to struggling natural gas pipeline company Southern Union, which he had acquired through Metro Mobile in 1990 for $125 million.[7] He was CEO of Southern Union, and sold it in 2012 to Energy Transfer Equity, for approximately $2.0 billion.[3][6][7][8]
Lindemann owned 19 Spanish-speaking radio stations.[6][8] He was president of Cellular Dynamics and the managing general partner of Activated Communications Limited Partnership beginning in 1982.[5] He was a general partner of Panhandle Eastern.[5] He sat on the board of directors of HI Europe Limited and on the advisory board of Hudson Clean Energy Partners.[5]
According to Forbes 2018 list of the world's billionaires, Lindemann’s net worth was US$3.3 billion.[10]
Philanthropy and political activities
He has made donations to Republican candidates, such as Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ed Royce, Denny Rehberg, and Virginia Foxx.[13] He is a supporter of the Center for Jewish History.[14]
The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera is named after him and his wife.[15][16][17] The Lindemann family also donated to the Greenwich Hospital Foundation.[18]
Personal life
Lindemann was married to Frayda B. Lindemann[3] who is vice-president on the board of the Metropolitan Opera.[7] They have three children:[3]
- Adam Marc Lindemann, president of Lindemann Capital, is an art collector, gallerist, columnist for the New York Observer, and a former champion polo player.[7] In 1989, he married Elizabeth Ashley Graham.[19] Her maternal grandfather is Charles R. Denny, former chairman of the FCC.[19] They had three daughters. The Lindemanns divorced, and Adam is now married to Amalia Dayan, the granddaughter of Moshe Dayan. The couple has two daughters.
- Sloan Lindemann Barnett sits on the board of trustees of the New York University School of Law and runs a natural health products business.[7] She is married to Roger Barnett, CEO of Shaklee, and a son of Victor Barnett and Helaine M. Barnett. They have three children.[20]
- George Lindemann Jr. is an art collector, investor, and philanthropist in Miami.[7] He served time in prison after being convicted by a jury of insurance fraud.[21][7][22]
Lindemann was the president of the board of directors of the Bass Museum of Art. He lived in Palm Beach, Florida, but sold the house in 2008.[23] He has other homes on the Upper East Side and in Greenwich, Connecticut.[3][6][7][8] As of September 2011, he was the 736th richest person in the world, and the 220th richest in the US, with an estimated wealth of US$2.1 billion.[3] He owned a 180-foot schooner, Adela, which has won international sailing competitions.[7][8] The Lindemanns are members of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.[24]
References
- "Billionaires: George Lyle LINDEMANN". Wealth-X. Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
- Cohen, Ian. "Billionaire businessman George Lindemann dies". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "Forbes profile: George Lindemann & family". Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- Hagerty, James R. (29 June 2018). "George Lindemann Made Bold Investments in Cable TV, Mobile Phones and Pipelines". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- "Stocks". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- Robert Trigaux, "Florida boasts 10 of world's richest" in St. Petersburg Times, February 28, 2003
- Peter Latterman and Michael J. De La Merced, "Natural Gas Bidding War Puts Spotlight on a Billionaire" in The New York Times, June 28, 2011
- "Wharton Magazine". Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- Cohen, Ian (June 25, 2018). "Billionaire businessman George Lindemann dies". Palm Beach Daily News.
- "George Lindemann & family". Forbes. March 6, 2018.
- Forbes Israel: Jewish Billionaires – Profile of George Lindemann April 14, 2013 (in Hebrew)
- "George Lyle Lindemann Sr. biography". WealthX. 3 January 2017.
- "Politics - U.S. Political News, Opinion and Analysis". Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- Center for Jewish History Bulletin Archived 2013-02-27 at the Wayback Machine, Fall/Winter 2006
- Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Metropolitan Opera
- Desk, BWW News (July 13, 2017). "Five Talents Join Metropolitan Opera's Young Artists Development Program". Broadway World.
- "Met Opera exec sells Sherry Netherland co-op". The Real Deal New York. 5 February 2019.
- "Greenwich Hospital Receives Generous Gift in Honor of Dr. James Brunetti". Greenwich Free Press. November 2, 2019.
- The New York Times: "Elizabeth Graham, Graduate Student, Is Married to Adam Marc Lindemann", October 16, 1989
- New York University Law Alumni of the Month December 2009: Sloan Lindemann Barnett '93, retrieved May 3, 2013
- Mazzei, Patricia (2019-09-08). "The Florida Activist Is 78. The Legal Judgment Against Her Is $4 Million". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- "3-Year Term In '90 Killing Of Prize Horse". New York Times. January 19, 1996. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
- Janjigian, Robert (April 8, 2008). ""George, Frayda Lindemann sell Blossom Way home; price rumored to be between $70 and $80 million" - By: Robert Janjigian, Palm Beach Daily News | The Corcoran Group". Corcoran.
- Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County Honor Roll 2011